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Soval
Ambassador to Earth | serial number = | status = Active | datestatus = 2155 | born = Prior to 2032 | died = | father = | mother = | owner = | sibling = | relative = | marital_status = | spouse = | children = | blood type = | actor = Gary Graham }} Soval was the Vulcan ambassador to Earth from the 2120s to the 2150s. Early career In the 2050s, Soval was a member of the occupation force sent to take Paan Mokar from the Andorians. He served as a low ranking intelligence officer in the southeast quadrant. The last time Soval fired a weapon prior to the incident on Weytahn in 2152 was sometime in the early 2100s. ( ) Young Jonathan Archer knew that Soval had a ship in the 2120s, while asking his father, Henry Archer, if his ship would be bigger than "Ambassador Pointy's ship". ( ) By 2152 Soval had an impressive list of accomplishments in his service record. ( ) Diplomacy Prior to being assigned to Earth, he was part of the negotiations of the last accord between the Vulcans and the Andorians prior to 2152. During the work on the project, Shran gained a respect for him. ( ) Soval lived on Earth since before 2124, which was for more than thirty years as of 2154. ( ) Soval was one of the greatest proponents of Earth's caution in advancing into the galaxy. Jonathan Archer blamed Soval for holding back the warp five engine's development so much that his father, Henry Archer, died before his design became a reality. As a child, young Jonathan referred to Soval as "Ambassador Pointy". Soval considered Captain Gardner to be the most suitable choice to captain , however the job eventually went to Captain Archer, whom Soval found "impulsive." ( ) After Klaang the Klingon courier crash-landed on Earth in 2151, Soval along with his two senior aides, T'Pol and Tos, recommended that 's launch be postponed, due to their possible diplomatic repercussions. At Starfleet Medical, Soval also recommended taking Klaang off life support and returning his corpse to Qo'noS; Admiral Maxwell Forrest ignored this recommendation, and decided that this was a perfect opportunity to launch. Soval offered them use of the Vulcan database under the condition that Enterprise take T'Pol along as a science officer. ( ) When the Vulcans monitored Enterprise s docking with the v'tosh ka'tur vessel Vahklas, Soval was asked to pass on a message from a Vulcan High Command minister to Admiral Forrest, who passed it on to Captain Archer that Kov's father was dying and wished to contact him. ( ) Six months later, Soval informed Admiral Maxwell Forrest that due to Captain Archer's interference at P'Jem, which led to its subsequent destruction by the Andorians, Earth and Vulcan's joint fleet operations would be suspended. Soval was also recalled to Vulcan for consultation. ( ) In 2152, after Enterprise was incorrectly deemed responsible for the destruction of the Paraagan colony, Soval recommended that Earth cease its deep-space exploration efforts for the next decade or two. However, Starfleet Command ignored this recommendation as well when it was discovered that a third party had sabotaged and framed Enterprise for the colony's destruction. ( ) Later that year when fighting once again broke out on the disputed planet Paan Mokar between Vulcan and Andorian forces, Thy'lek Shran asked the Vulcans to send "Archer" to help in the peace talks, as he was someone they trusted. The Vulcan High Command had Soval (as ambassador to Earth) contact Starfleet and Captain Archer. Soval and Subcommander Muroc met with Enterprise to relay the message. Soval was not particularly pleased to have Archer there, and was suspicious of why an Andorian would ask for him. But after some negotiating with Archer, he agreed to go down to the planet with him to meet with Shran (citing "the ball is in our court now," a Human phrase). While attempting to land, the shuttle was shot down by renegade members of the Andorian forces, not working under Shran's orders. Although Soval suggested meeting up with the Vulcan forces, Archer insisted on heading towards Shran. Soon they came under fire, and Soval was shot in the shoulder by an Andorian. T'Pol helped put his arm in a sling, and they sought cover. When Archer went to come up on the attackers from behind, he handed a phase pistol to Soval and told him to give him cover. Soval, not having fired a weapon since the 2100s, was wary about it but did so. Shortly after one of the Andorians firing on them was taken out, Soval and T'Pol were captured by the Andorian forces and taken to Shran, who had found Archer fighting with one of the renegade Andorians. Once the renegade Andorian, Tarah, was arrested, real peace talks began between Shran, Soval, T'Pol, Muroc and Archer on Enterprise. Although they agreed that they didn't agree on much, they did settle that the talks would continue on Andoria. To celebrate, Shran insisted that they drink to it with Andorian ale. Although reluctant, Soval did not wish to offend Shran, and partook in the gesture. As T'Pol escorted the Ambassador to the Vulcan ship, he pointed out to Captain Archer regarding the situation: "Your presence here has not been... overly meddlesome." ( ) In 2153, Soval expressed skepticism regarding Archer's information from the Suliban about the Xindi attack and recommended against the mission to the Delphic Expanse. He also tried to stop Subcommander T'Pol from joining the ship on its mission, once it became apparent that Captain Archer would not listen to him. ( ) Upon Enterprise s return in 2154, Soval was on a board that investigated Captain Archer's mission in the Delphic Expanse. Soval reprimanded him for several concerns regarding the Vulcan ship Seleya, which Enterprise had encountered in the expanse. One of his many complaints was that Archer hadn't retrieved the ship's data recorder, so that the panel could truly know what happened aboard the ship. However, he thanked Archer for saving their region of the galaxy from the Sphere Builders, as the information T'Pol reported showed their space would have eventually consumed many more worlds, including Vulcan. ( ) Later that year, Soval and Admiral Forrest were on Vulcan discussing future relations between their two peoples. Soval was nearly killed in the bombing of the Earth embassy on Vulcan; only Admiral Forrest's quick action saved Soval's life at the cost of the admiral's own. Suspicious of the High Command's claim of Syrrannite involvement in the bombing, he encouraged Captain Archer to pursue their own investigation and threw his support behind the captain. He later disclosed his ability as a mind-melder when he melded with a comatose embassy guard in order to find out the identity of the bomber, later revealed to be Vulcan security director Stel. The meld, considered deviant in Vulcan society, prompted the High Command to strip Soval of his position as ambassador to Earth. ( ) Soval then informed Commander Tucker of a plot, orchestrated by High Command Administrator V'Las, to use the Syrrannite crisis as a cover for a planned invasion of Andoria, despite a peace treaty signed two years previous. Since such an action could have led to interstellar conflict, Soval decided to warn the Andorians of the impending invasion. A skeptical Commander Shran, unable to believe that the distinguished ambassador would so easily betray his own government, kidnapped Soval from Enterprise and subjected him to mental torture that lowered his emotional threshold in order to confirm his story. Soval's insistence and a few warning shots from Enterprise persuaded Shran to return Soval and advise the Andorian Imperial Guard of Vulcan movements based on Soval's data. ( ) With the element of surprise gone, the Vulcan invasion force met stiff resistance from the Andorians and Enterprise, giving enough time for the Kir'Shara to reach the Vulcan capital from the Forge. Upon the activation of the Kir'Shara's writings, Administrator V'Las was relieved of his post and the invasion stopped by Minister Kuvak. Soval later informed Captain Archer of the dissolution of the High Command and the less stringent policy to be adopted towards Earth. ( ) Following T'Pau's ascension to administrator, Soval was reinstated as the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. He was one of several Vulcan ambassadors who represented their people at the conference to discuss the formation of a "Coalition of Planets". He was the first ambassador to give a standing ovation to Captain Archer's and Nathan Samuels' speech. ( ) Despite his attempts to constrain Starfleet's warp development, Soval later admitted that he had gained a respect for Earth and its people during his years on the planet. When Tucker sarcastically remarked that he'd done a very good job at hiding it, Soval took that as a compliment. ( ) Alternate timelines In 2165 of an alternate timeline in which Earth was destroyed, Soval tried to persuade T'Pol to return to Vulcan with him. She refused, staying loyal to her crewmates. ( ) Memorable quotes "Listen to me, you're making a '''mistake!'" '' "When your logic doesn't work, you raise your voice? You've been on Earth too long." : - Soval and Archer on taking Klaang back to Qo'nos ( ) "They've been in space for six months and they've already destabilized an entire sector." : - Soval, on the crew of Enterprise. ( ) "What ''is their fixation with our ears?" "''I believe they're envious." : - Soval and T'Pol regarding Humans talking about Vulcans' ears. ( ) "Join me in a drink to celebrate our mutual dissatisfaction." "Vulcans don't drink... but this occasion merits an exception." : - Shran and Soval ( ) "Captain, your presence here has not been... overly meddlesome." : - Soval, to Archer, before his departure. ( ) "Our Science Directorate has determined that time travel is impossible." : - Vulcan Ambassador Soval, to Captain Archer and Admiral Forrest ( ) "Ambassador... I want to apologize for what I said to you the other day. I was out of line." "Yes, you were." "I'm glad we can finally agree on something." : - Archer and Soval ( ) "Captain... your actions, while being morally questionable, were necessary. I opposed your appointment as captain of ''Enterprise, but it's obvious now that I was wrong. T'Pol has told me that the Expanse would have someday encompassed hundreds of systems, including Vulcan. You've done a great service for both our worlds. Thank you." : - '''Soval', to Archer ( ) "We don't know what to do about Humans. Of all the species we've made contact with, yours is the only one we can't define. You have the arrogance of Andorians, the stubborn pride of Tellarites. One moment you're as driven by your emotions as Klingons, and the next you confound us by suddenly embracing logic!" "I'm sure those qualities are found in every species." "Not in such confusing abundance." : - Soval and Maxwell Forrest, in the halls of Earth's embassy on Vulcan. ( ) "Ambassador... are Vulcans afraid of Humans?" :(Soval answers with a slight nod) "Why?" "Because, there ''is one species you remind us of." "''Vulcans." : - Forrest and Soval ( ) "There are those on the High Command who wonder what Humans would achieve in the century to come, and they don't like the answer." "We're not the Klingons. We only want to be your partners, to do what the nations of Earth have learned to do: to work together in common cause." : - Soval and Forrest, just before a bomb explodes in the embassy. ( ) "Your accomplishments have been noteworthy." "They don't justify deception..." "Deception has never been a stranger to this room." : - Minister Kuvak, Administrator V'Las, and Ambassador Soval ( ) "There's a great deal that needs to be said, Excellency, but no one's willing to listen." : - Ambassador Soval, to Administrator V'Las ( ) "Mind if I ask you something? Why are you doing this? I never got the impression that you cared that much about Humans. Seems like... you were always finding something new to complain about." "I lived on Earth for more than 30 years, Commander. In that time I developed an affinity for your world and its people." "You did a pretty good job of hiding it." "Thank you." : - Commander Tucker and Ambassador Soval ( ) "How many warning shots do Vulcans usually fire?" "None." : - Commander Tucker and Ambassador Soval after the Vulcan ships fired a shot that missed Enterprise by just 20 meters. ( ) "I'LL TEAR THE ANTENNAE FROM YOUR SKULL!!" : - Soval to Shran ( ) "Open a channel." "To who?" "The nebula." : - Soval and Tucker ( ) "Where is your fleet?!" "Do you know the story of Nirak?" "What?" "He was a soldier who lived a long time ago. He was standing watch over the gates of the city of Gol and he saw a cloud on the horizon moving toward him. He thought it was a sandstorm, so he told no one. It was an army. They destroyed the city, but they let Nirak live. His name now means "fool" in our language, just as yours will in Andorian!" : - Commander Shran interrogating Soval, not believing in his truthful answers. ( ) "How do you feel, captain?" "Like a giant weight's been lifted" : - Soval and Archer, at the Vulcan High Command. ( ) Appendices Appearances * ** (Season 1) ** ** (Season 2) ** ** ** (Season 3) ** (Season 4) ** ** ** ** Additional references * ** ("Season 1") ** ** ("Season 2") ** ("Season 3") Background In a character breakdown sheet that Paramount sent to various talent agents upon casting Star Trek: Enterprise pilot , Ambassador Soval was said to be a non-recurring role that was detailed thus; "Vulcan male. Late 60s. A wise and arrogant diplomat who has very little patience with Captain Archer." http://www.trektoday.com/news/040301_01.shtml Soval was portrayed by actor Gary Graham, who had previously played in the Star Trek: Voyager episode . Along with Shran, and Porthos, Soval is one of only four characters, outside of the main cast, to appear in all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise. The wig worn by Gary Graham throughout his appearances was subsequently sold off on the ''It's A Wrap!'' sale and auction on eBay. In 2014, it was announced Graham would reprise the role of Soval in the fan-made production Star Trek: Axanar. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/194429923/star-trek-prelude-to-axanar External links * * * bg:Совал cs:Soval de:Soval fr:Soval it:Soval ja:ソヴァル ru:Совал es:Soval ca:Soval Category:Vulcans Category:Ambassadors